Straight bar knitting machines



y 4, 1966 w. BENTLEY ETALY 3,252,306

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1964 May 24, 1966 w. BENTLEY ETAL 3,252,306

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 27, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 4, 1966 w. BENTLEY ETAL 3,252,306

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 27, 1964 United States Patent STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES William Bentley, Oadby, and Ernest Start, Ruddington,

England, assignors to William Cotton Limited Filed Feb. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 347,860 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 28, 1963, 7,982/ 63 Claims. (CI. 66-89) This invention is for improvements in or relating to straight bar knitting machines of a kind, for example as disclosed in our British Patent 933,072, having individual beard-presser elements for successive needles, a pattern drum or equivalent patterning means, and operating means causing selected arrangements of the beard-presser elements to move between unoperated positions in which their associated needle beards are not pressed so that their needles do not form knitted loops, and operated positions in which they press the beards of their associated needles for these needles to form knitted loops. According to said patent the mechanism is primarily for tuck-patterning by varying the selection of the beard-presser elements in different courses, the miss-pressing of needle beards followed by knitting, on different selected needles in different pairs of courses, producing tuck stitches to a predetermined pattern.

An object of the invention is to produce on a machine of the kind referred to knitted articles having pouches, pockets or the like.

The invention provides the production, on a straight bar knitting machine of the kind referred to, of knitted articles having pouches, pockets or the like, and comprises .the operational steps of knitting a body fabric with all the beard-presser elements operating, of holding spaced .groups of beard-presser elements unoperated for holding correspondingly spaced groups of fabric loops on the corresponding spaced groups of needles with out forming further knitted loops thereon, while operating the remaining intermediate group of beard-presser elements for the corresponding intermediate group of needles to form a tab-' like length of knitted fabric, and thereafter forming knitted loops on all three groups of the needles in making further body fabric; The tab-like length of knitted fabric is made by repeat operation of the same group of the elements and the tab becomes disposed in loop form with open mouth and sides. To form a pocket utilising the looped tab, the tab is severed in the region of its first course at one side of the mouth of the loop, and the loop is unfolded to form a fiat tab extending along the body fabric, whereupon the side and free end edges of the tab are joined to the body fabric.

To form a pouch, the following operational steps are performed during production of the tab-like length of knitted fabric: progressively adding to the intermediate group of operated beard-presser elements, at each end thereof, a number of the elements from the remaining two spaced groups thereof, followed by progressively withdrawing said number of elements from the groups of operated elements before performing the step of operating all three groups to knit, whereby spaced gores are produced to form a pouch.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described, as a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing body fabric being knitted for a garment.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view to FIGURE 1 showing pocket fabric being knitted for the garment. FIGURE 3 is a similar view to FIGURES 1 and 2 showing further body fabric being knitted for the garment.

3,252,306 Patented May 24, 1966 FIGURE 7 is a similar view to FIGURES 5 and 6 at a later stage when further body fabric has been knitted after making the pouch fabric.

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic view showing knitted fabric incorporating a pouch by the method of FIGURES 5 to 7.

FIGURE 9 is a front View of part of a patterndrum for employment in a machine for making knitted fabric incorporating the pocket.

FIGURE 10 is a similar View to FIGURE 9 of part of a pattern drum for employment in a machine for making knitted fabric incorporating the pouch.

FIGURE 11 is a cross-sectional view of a Cottons patent straight bar knitting machine suitable for making knitted fabric with the pocket or pouch.

Referring to FIGURE 1 the first operational step in this example consists of running on a rib welt RW to the needles of a straight bar knitting machine, and the next operational step is to operate the machine to knit a length of body fabric BF for a garment until a stage is reached Where it is desired to start forming a pocket. During the formation of this body fabric BF the bearded needles N of the machine supported by the needle bar NB have their beards B pressed, during the usual presser stage in knitting on this type of machine, by individual presser elements PE. These elements are made up of two outer spaced groups 1G, 2G of the elements .and an intermediate group 3G of the elements. Also during the formation of the body fabric BF the usual thread carrier TC is traversed, by usual means represented at M, for a distance equal to the full Width of the body fabric, under control of fixed stops STl, ST2 movable with the thread carrier and adjustable stops A81, A82 which are adjustable by screw adjustment means in a manner well known for this type of machine.

At the stant of the pocket-forming stage the adjustable stops A31, A82 are adjusted inwardly for controlling the thread carrier TC to move for a distance equal only to the width required for the pocket, as indicated in FIG- URE 2. Then for the next course of loops to be knitted, the intermediate group of presser elements 3G only are advanced to press the beards of their associated needles, while the outer spaced groups 16, 2G of the presser elements are held spaced from their associated needles, so as not to press the beards of these needles. By this means loops for the course are knitted only on the small group of needles associated with the intermediate group 3G of the presser elements.

The machine continues to be operated in this manner for a number of courses required for the pocket, the result being that a loop L of fabric is formed for the pocket.

When this loop L of fabric has been formed as required length, the adjustable stops A81, A82 are re-adjusted outwardly to control the movement of the thread This manner of producing the loop L of pocket fabric results in the formation of a slot SL in the fabric between the underside US of the loop L and the further body fabric FBF to serve as the mouth of the pocket.

When the further body fabric FBF has been formed to the required length and the blank is removed from the machine, the pocket is completed by first cutting across the loop L of fabric at the location where the underside US joins, the body fabric BF, then the loop L of fabric is straightened out to lie flat on the body fabric and the two opposite side edges and the bottom or cut edge of the pocket fabric is secured to the body fabric by linking or seaming.

A particular advantage of this manner of producing a pocket is that part of the body fabric BFl, FIGURE 4, forms the front of the pocket and therefore matches in loop formation with the adjacent body fabric BF.

The advantage is enhanced if, for example, the fabric is a fancy stitch fabric, for example a tuck stitch fabric, and/or if the fabric is colour patterned, because the front part of the pocket will also include the fancy stitches and/or the colour patterning.

It will be appreciated that more than one pocket may be produced in the manner described at different locations in the body fabric.

If desired the mouth of the pocket or each pocket may be reinforced or rendered distinctive in any desiredmanner such for example as by the application of coloured tape or braid.

In alternatively forming a pouch, at any one or more desired locations in the body fabric, the body fabric will be started as before described, and knitting will continue as before described until it is required to start forming the pouch.

At this stage the same operations are performed as above described for the next course to be knitted only on a small group of needles, i.e. at the location indicated at L1 in FIGURE 5.

Knitting proceeds as above described on the small group of needles but during the knitting of the required length of fabric for the first half of the pouch, individual presser elements from the spaced groups 1G, 2G thereof are progressively added to the intermediate group 36 of the presser elements and the adjustable stops are adjusted progressively outwards so that a triangle of fabric T is produced.

Following this, the added presser elements are progressively returned to the spaced groups 1G, 2G of the presser elements and the adjustable stops are adjusted progressively inwards so that a reverse triangle RT of fabric is formed, FIGURE 6.

Thereafter the further body fabric is produced as above described, FIGURE 7.

The manner of illustration in FIGURES 5 to 7 s diagrammatically and in actual practice the sides edges SE1, SE2 of the triangle T of fabric will be automatically joined to the adjacent edges E1, E2 respectively of the body fabric BF and the side edges SE3, SE4 of the reverse triangle RT Will be automatically joined to the edges E3, E4 respectively of the further body fabric FBF, and further, the edge portions E5, E6 of the body fabric BF will be automatically joined to the edge portions E7, E8 respectively of the further body fabric FBF.

The result of this is that two spaced gores SGl, SGZ, FIGURE 8, are produced in the body fabric with surplus fabric disposed between them in pouch-forming manner.

The presser elements are conveniently provided by the sliders referred to in the aforesaid British patent, and convenient means for controlling these sliders consists of a pattern drum disclosed in said patent.

FIGURE 9 shows part of the pattern drum suitable for control of the sliders in forming the aforesaid body fabric and pocket, for which purpose the drum D would have a complete row of pattern bits indicated at R1 for advance of all the sliders in forming the body fabric BF and the further body fabric FBF. For the formation of the pocket the pattern drum would be racked-on so that the presser elements would be under control of a small group SG of pattern bits only for advancement of only the intermediate group of presser elements 56. When the pocket has been completed the pattern drum could be racked back to reintroduce the complete row R1 of pattern bits, or the two rows of pattern bits could be repeated round the drum and the pattern drum racked round progressively.

For production of the aforesaid body fabric and pouch, the pattern drum D, FIGURE 10, would have one complete row R2 of pattern bits for the body fabric BF and for the pouch fabric there would be successive groups of the pattern bits such as the groups SGl, 8G2, S63 and $64, the groups being of progressively increasing size and the pattern drum being progressively racked-on for the first part of the pouch, and for the second half of the pouch the drum could-be progressively racked back, or the-arrangement of pattern bits could be repeated and the drum racked round progressively.

A Cottons patent straight bar knitting machine substantially as disclosed in said British patent can be conveniently adapted for carrying out the above described methods.

Briefly with reference to the accompanying FIGURE 11, the machine comprises the usual arrangement of cam operated mechanism indicated generally at 1 for operating the needles N to form knitted fabric, the usual arrangement of cam operated mechanism indicated generally at 2 for catch bar operation of usual sinkers S1, usual Coulier mechanism indicated generally at 3 for operating, through a vertical drive transmitting shaft 4, the usual slurcock 5 controlling sinkers S1 through the intermediary of jacks 6, usual thread carrier TC with one of the aforesaid adjustable stops being shown at A81, and a programming pattern device represented by an endless chain 7 racked by a ratchet wheel 8 and pawl 9 from a cam follower lever 10 with cam follower 11 engaging a cam 12 for obtaining course 'by course control of different mechanisms in the machine in a manner well known in the art.

There is also provided sliders 13 slidable in the sinker bed 14 between the sinkers S1 and constituting the aforesaid presser elements PE.

For advancing the sliders there is a pattern drum 14 constituting the aforesaid pattern drum D.

This pattern drum is bodily movable forwardly and rearwardly through a toggle mechanism 15'which is connected by a link 16 to a bell crank lever 17, the latter being connected by a link 18 to a cam follower lever 19 having a cam follower 20 engaging a cam 21.

The pattern drum is racked round when required through bevelled pinions 22 one of which is on a spindle 23 which carries a further pinion 24 meshing with a pinion 25 on a shaft 26 on which there is a further pinion 27 meshing with a pinion 28 on a pivot 29 carrying a ratchet wheel 30. The ratchet wheel is engaged by a pawl 31 which is connected by a link 32 to a cam follower lever 33 having a cam follower 34-engaging a cam 35.

The cam follower 34 is shiftableon and off the cam 35 by a fork 36 connected to a rod 37 having a collar 38 with which it engages one arm 39 of a bell crank lever, the other arm 40 of this lever being connected by a link 41 to a control lever 42 one end 43 of which is presented to the chain 7 to be operated by control bits such as 44, 45 at required times.

It will be understood that for making the body fabric above referred to, the pattern drum 14 is advanced through the cam operated toggle device 15 once for each course, with the full row of pattern bits R1, FIGURE 9, registering with the sliders 13 so that all these sliders are advanced to press the beards of all their associated needles.

This arrangement is particularly suitable where patterning is required, in which event the row of pattern bits R1 would be in required pattern arangement and there would be an adjacent row of pattern bits arranged to complete the pattern arrangement as disclosed in the aforesaid patent.

If no patterning is required it could be arranged for the drum 14 to remain in the forward position by using the pattern chain 7 or the like to cause displacement of the cam follower 20 onto a plain cam.

At the stage of starting to knit the aforesaid pocket, and following a rearward movement of the pattern drum 14, a control bit such as 44, 45 on the pattern chain or the like would operate the control lever 42 whereby the cam follower 34 would be moved onto the cam 35 thereby to cause a rack of the pattern drum 14 to present to the sliders 13 the aforesaid small group of pattern bits SG, FIGURE 9. This enables the first couse of the pocket fabric to be knitted, and for the next subsequent courses the control lever 42 would return to normal and remain so while the pocket fabric is completed under control of the small group of pattern bits SG, and then a further control bit such as 44 or 45 would again operate the control lever 42 to cause another rack of the pattern drum 14 to again present a full row of pattern bits to the sliders 13 enabling the further body fabric to be knitted.

In the instance of forming the aforesaid pouch, there would be a repeat arrangement of control bits such as 44, 45 on the pattern chain 7 by which the pattern drum would be racked-on the required number of times to present the variable length groups of pattern bits SGl to 864, FIGURE 10, to the sliders 13 in turn.

If desired the operations of the pattern drum 14 may be under control of the programming arrangement disclosed in our US. Patent 3,141,316.

What we claim is:

1. The method of producing knitted articles having pockets comprising the steps of knitting a first portion of a fabric with a predetermined number of loops in a plurality of courses; continuing to knit wales of a limited number of loops of said first portion spaced from the edges of said first portion so that a strip of knitted fabric narrower than said first portion is formed; continue to knit wales of the loops of the last course of said first portion located outside of said strip and simultaneously continuing to knit the wales of said strip so that a second portion of the fabric is formed, and said strip is bent to be loop-shaped and to have a mouth between the last course of said first fabric portion and the first course of said second fabric portion; severing the loop-shaped strip along one of said courses at one side of said mouth; un

folding the loop-shaped strip to form a fiat strip extend-- ing from the other side of said mouth across the course at said one side of the mouth and over one of said fabric portions; and joining the side edges and the severed end of the strip to said one fabric portion to form a pocket.

2. The method of producing knitted articles having pockets on a straight bar knitting machine having bearded needles and beard-presser elements, comprising the steps of knitting a first portion of a body fabric with all the beard-presser elements operating; idling spaced groups of said beard-pressed elements for a plurality of courses so that the corresponding spaced groups of needles hold their corresponding spaced groups of loops for this plurality of courses; operating for said plurality of courses the remaining intermediate group of beard presser elements to press the beards of the corresponding intermediate group of needles to form a tab of fabric thereon; operating said spaced groups of beard-presser elements and said intermediate group of beard-presser elements .simultaneously to make a second portion of the body fabric so that said tab forms a loop having a mouth between the last course of said first portion and the first course of said second portion; severing the loop of fabric along one of said courses at one side of the mouth of the loop; unfolding the loop to form a fiat tab extending from the other side of the mouth of the loop, across the course at said one side of the mouth and along the body fabric; and joining the side edges and the severed end of the tab to the body fabric to form a pocket.

3. The method claimed in claim 2 including making the loop of fabric of the same thread and in the same pattern as the body fabric. 4. The method claimed in claim 2 including repeating said steps after making said second portion to form a second pocket at a location on the body fabric spaced from the first mentioned pocket.

5. The method claimed in claim 2 including securing strip material to the edges of the mouth of the pocket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,072,640 9/1913 Nydegger 66-171 1,782,007 11/1930 Le Gorre 66-89 2,432,108 12/1947 Zesch 6689 2,475,447 7/ 1949 Colton 66-89 2,969,662 1/ 1961 Gordon 668-9 DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

P. C. FAW, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING KNITTED ARTICLES HAVING POCKETS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF KNITTING A FIRST PORTION OF A FABRIC WITH A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF LOOPS IN A PLURALITY OF COURSES; CONTINUING TO KNIT WALES OF A LIMITED NUMBER OF LOOPS OF SAID FIRST PORTION SPACED FROM THE EDGES OF SAID FIRST PORTION SO THAT A STRIP OF KNITTED FABRIC NARROWER THAN SAID FIRST PORTION IS FORMED; CONTINUE TO KNIT WALES OF THE LOPS OF THE LAST COURCE OF SAID FIRST PORTION LOCATED OUTSIDE OF SAID STRIP AND SIMULANEOUSLY CONTINUING THE KNIT THE WALES OF SAID STRIP SO THAT A SECOND PORTION OF THE FABRIC IS FORMED, AND SAID STRIP IS BENT TO BE LOOP-SHAPED AND TO HAVE A MOUTH BETWEEN THE LAST COURSE OF SAID FIRST FABRIC PORTION AND THE FIRST COURSE OF SAID SECOND FABRIC PORTION; SERVING THE LOOP-SHAPED STRIP ALONG ONE OF SAID COURSES AT ONE SIDE OF SAID MOUTH; UNFOLDING THE LOOP-SHAPED STRIP TO FORM A FLAT STRIP EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID MOUTH AROSS THE COURSE AT SAID ONE SIDE OF THE MOUTH AND OVER ONE OF SAID FABRIC PORTIONS; AND JOINING THE SIDE EDGES AND THE SEVERED END OF THE STRIP TO SAID ONE FABRIC PORTION TO FORM A POCKET. 